Trades Won’t Do It – BS

“The Trades Won’t Do It”  Why That’s BS

Welcome to blog number 1395. We’re 105 blogs away from 1500,  a milestone I’ve had my eye on for a long time. If I keep going for the next 15 years, I could hit 5,000. That’s kind of fun to think about, especially knowing my grandkids could one day read these posts and know exactly what I believed about leadership and construction.

Today’s topic: The trades won’t do it.
That’s BS.

Why “The Trades Won’t Do It” is a Cop-Out

Here’s what I hear all the time:

• “We were going to pull a plan, but the trades won’t do it.”
• “I wanted to run morning worker huddles and afternoon foreman huddles, but the trades won’t do it.”
• “We planned to use weekly work plans, but the trades won’t do it.”

Every time I hear this, my response is the same: BS.
You are the general contractor. People do what’s in the contract. If it’s part of the agreement, or not crossed out in redlines, it’s a requirement.

But beyond the contract, trades are good humans. They will partner with you if it makes sense. In fact, most trades are open to doing things differently if it clearly benefits the project. The problem isn’t that they won’t, it’s that we haven’t asked the right way, with clarity and confidence.

Thinking Beyond the Obvious

If you’re not asking trades to think outside the box at least once or twice on a project, chances are your sequence could be better.
The most intuitive way to build (north to south, bottom to top, 1-2-3-4) is often not the most efficient.
Production thinking may suggest something counterintuitive, like building Deck 1, then Deck 3, back to Deck 2, then Deck 4.

The point is: don’t accept “they won’t do it” as truth. Ask, explain, collaborate, and show the value.

A Real Conversation That Proves the Point

A lead carpenter recently told a superintendent to “stop asking field guys what they need” just tell them what to do. He claimed the crew even made fun of being asked those questions.

Here’s my take:

1. It’s about clarity, not being an authoritarian. Crews operate best with clear direction. Repeatedly asking for input without making decisions can feel like indecisiveness.
2. It’s cultural conditioning. Many trades have worked under top-down systems their whole careers. Collaboration feels foreign until trust is built and that can take 6–18 weeks of consistency.
3. Your questions are leadership gold. “Do you have what you need?” is a sign of care. But trust and psychological safety must be in place for trades to answer honestly.
4. Blend clarity with compassion. Give direction confidently, then invite collaboration on the “how.”

The Bottom Line

I’ve never met a trade partner who refused to collaborate when the GC led with clarity, respect, and consistency. If you believe “they won’t do it,” check whether the real issue is unclear direction, lack of follow-through, or a culture still stuck in old habits.

You are the leader. It’s your job to create the environment, keep the rhythm, and drive the right behaviors.

Key Takeaway
“The trades won’t do it” isn’t reality, it’s an excuse. Trades will do what makes sense, adds value, and is led with clarity and purpose. Your role as a builder is to remove uncertainty, set the tone, and build both the project and the people.